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It is hard to
believe that summer is coming to an end and fall is
in the air. I spent much of the summer traveling for
business and pleasure and did not get as much time
as I would have liked sitting on my deck in Bend
and enjoying our garden. How about those Oregon
Ducks? Hey,we stole the Oklahoma game fair and
square!
This very morning
our Institute Chaplain Cmdr. Will Bartlett, called
me to say that with so much happening I should bring
back our "newspaper." I told him that "great minds"
do indeed think alike and that was exactly what I
was doing when he called. I want to talk about a few
issues that I feel are important as we move forward.
Light
Duty/Medical
On Monday, November
20, 2006 I will be entering St. Charles Medical
Center in Bend for some remedial hip surgery. The
original factory equipment was replaced in 1994 and
my Doctor tells me this repair should be good for
another fifteen years. I expect to be hospitalized
for about 5-6 days and will be recuperating at home
through the holidays. I expect to be able to travel
again in mid January and should be able to handle
routine office assignments shortly after I return
home from the hospital. Please try to communicate
with me by email and if you call, let the phone ring
or leave a message and I will return your call as
quickly as possible.
New
Communication Link
This year I have been
promoting our Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP).
This requires that you have a high speed internet
connection. The system I am recommending is Skype.
Go to
www.skype.com
to setup your user name and password. The service is
free. You will need a webcam and microphone. I
suggest a headset as the voice quality is usually
better. The hardware should cost less than $50 and
available at Circuit City, Best Buy or Radio Shack
stores. My skype address is skipper1344. When you
are setup simply dial me and we will enjoy both an
audio and video connection and the neat thing is
that there are no long distance charges. Clients and
parents who are already online really like this new
tool. Again, when you call let it ring as it takes
me time to get to my PC and connect your call.
Late
Payments
I have noticed in
the past year that monthly payments are running
slower. In order to maintain our high level of
client service and to pay our bills on time we need
these payments to arrive in Bend on or before their
due date. Beginning with the November billing cycle
we will allow a grace period of three days for
checks to arrive after which a late fee of $15.00
will be applied to late payments. We have tried to
make due dates accommodate your family budgets so if
there needs to be an adjustment, please let me know.
New Client
Referrals
As with most all
businesses client referrals are the best source of
new business. Many of you have been great at this
and we appreciate your efforts. We pay a $100
finders fee that is credited to existing client
accounts or in the form of a check upon our
contracting with a new client. If you or your family
have been pleased with our work and know of a young
person who could benefit from our programs and
services please share our contact information with
them. We hope that you will all see it as your way
to help another young person and family enjoy the
benefits you have received and our country benefits
as well.
The Look
Forward
2006 is turning out to be a
very good year with a significant increase in new
clients all across the country. Our website
www.olympicinstitute.com has
been upgraded. We are continuing to collaborate with
more groups and organizations like the American
Legion and Associations for Career and Technical
Educators (ACTE) in several states. We are
now offering our programs and services (College
Counseling) through the Employee Assistance Program
(EAP) of Cascades Center, Inc and it's two hundred
employer groups in Oregon. In 2007, we are expecting
all of this grow even more.
Help Wanted
Due to an increasing client
load and anticipated expansion of our programs and
services in 2007 we are recruiting Education
Counselors particularly in the Western United
States. If you are interested or know someone who
may be qualified please have them contact me
directly. These positions can be part time and do
not require a military background but do require an
ability and interest in working with young men and
women interested in pursuing military educations and
careers. These positions come with an extensive
professional support system and a generous
commission schedule. All serious inquiries should be
directed to me
brian@olympicinstitute.com
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Annual Deck
Party
Our date for 2007
will be Saturday, July 7th in Bend Oregon. This year
we really want to encourage all of you to attend
this celebration of our successes. This is also a
great opportunity for students and parents to
network with other families and learn and share
experiences with each other. Academy/ROTC graduates,
alumni and youngsters thinking about these
educational opportunities are most welcome. Please
mark your calendars and plan to attend. Bend Oregon
is a great outdoor recreation destination.
Institute
Alumni Links
When you contracted
with us for our programs and services you may
remember that I told you that "it was a one time fee
for a lifetime of service." I really meant it. If
you have questions or are having problems in your
program or require some independent career
counseling advice from knowledgeable sources feel
free to contact HQ. We are attempting to maintain a
current database, so we would appreciate you all
keeping us up to date on your current email
addresses and telephone numbers. I also enjoy
hearing about your current activities and of course
would appreciate visiting with you whenever you are
in Central Oregon. All you have to do is call. Don't
be strangers.
Last Word
I am attaching a
couple of documents regarding our work. Please feel
free to share them with others. Election Day is
coming in November, remember my motto "vote early
and vote often." Rosemary and I send our best and
thank our young men and women in uniform for their
service. May God continue to bless us all and happy
holidays to you and yours.
Brian M Douglass
President & CEO
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